Rowdy

Marked Men Series-Book 5

By Jay Crownover

Synopsis

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling Marked Men series continues with this sizzling, sexy story of love, heartbreak, fate, and second chances.

After the only girl he ever loved told him that he would never be enough, Rowdy St. James knocked the Texas dust off his boots and set out to live up to his nickname. A good ol’ boy looking for good times and good friends, Rowdy refuses to take anything too seriously, especially when it comes to the opposite sex. Burned by love once, he isn’t going to let himself trust a woman again. But that’s before his new co-worker arrives, a ghost from the past who’s suddenly making him question every lesson he ever learned.

Salem Cruz grew up in house with too many rules and too little fun—a world of unhappiness she couldn’t wait to forget. But one nice thing from childhood has stayed with her; the memory of the sweet, blue-eyed boy next door who’d been head over heels in love with her little sister.

Now, fate and an old friend have brought her and Rowdy together, and Salem is determined to show him that once upon a time he picked the wrong sister. A mission that is working perfectly—until the one person that ties them together appears, threatening to tear them apart for good.

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EXCERPT:

WHEN I PUT THE key he had given me in the door to his apartment it felt like the end of a long journey. Really it was only a little over twelve hours and I had stopped to nap once along the way, but it still felt like too long since I had seen his face or been able to touch all that toned and tattooed skin. Jimbo greeted me at the door when I pushed it open. His tongue lolled out of his mouth and he jumped up and put his paws on my legs. He was going to be huge when he finally grew into his fuzzy body and I was overwhelmed at how happy I was to see him. I dropped to my knees and rubbed my face in his neck as he licked me all over my face. I was obviously missed and I had to say it was just one more reason I knew I was finally where I was supposed to be. It was late, so the apartment was dark.

I checked the dog’s food and water, trying to be quiet in case Rowdy was already asleep. I was winding my way toward his bedroom when a haphazardly discarded sketch pad lying on the couch caught my eye in the dim light. I paused for a minute to pick it up and felt my heart stop and then start to race as I flipped through the first few pages. There were a couple of drawings that were obviously for clients, tattoos that hadn’t made it from paper to skin yet, but most of the pristine white pages were covered with images wearing my face. There was mermaid me, and naughty- sailor- girl me. There was sassy Indian girl me with long Pocahontas braids and there was sexy devil me standing next to angelic me. There were dozens of them all in different shapes and sizes, but every single image was undoubtedly modeled after my distinct look. I wasn’t sure if he had drawn them all over this last week while I had been gone or over the months we had been chasing each other in circles.

Either way it made my heart swell and the full certainty that I was it for him settle deep inside my bones. I set the pad down and tiptoed through the hall. Jimbo took one look at where I was going and huffed out a disgusted- sounding snort. The poor guy had learned early on that he wanted no part of what happened between his humans when they were together in the bedroom. The light was off and Rowdy was sprawled on his stomach across the covers. His blond hair was sticking up every- where and he hand one arm bent up under his head. The only thing that could have made the sight better would have been if he hadn’t bothered with the black boxers before crashing out.

Even with them obscuring the view, I couldn’t complain. I let out a breathless sigh and crept closer so that I could lean over and touch my lips to that anchor on the side of his neck. I felt his pulse leap and tasted the salt on his skin as he murmured sleepily and rolled over onto his back. Those infinitely blue eyes glowed at me in the dark as a grin pulled up the corner of his mouth.

“Hey.”

 Michel’s Review

I have been a huge fan of the Marked Men Series by Jay Crownover since the beginning.  This series has captivated the readers because of the dynamic characters and their close knit connections that make them a family.  Each of the characters has their own story and individuality that makes them stand out amongst each of their friends and family members.  Their individuality and unique personalities add the perfect balance in the family unit.  The strong bonds of friendship and love are what makes this series endearing.  Through out this series there has been one character that has stood out.  His wisdom, unconditional support, and relationship advice has made the friends better men.  His understanding and huge heart has made each of the women in their group value his advice.  He has earned their love and trust. Throughout this series his past has remained a mystery.  It is clear that his past has made him dead set against having a committed loving relationship.  This mysterious past has also given him the insight on how valuable a true loving relationship really is.  His advice comes from his past experiences and mistakes.  What happened to Rowdy St. James in the past that made him the man he is today?  What happened to make him a man that won’t commit to a steady relationship?  What happened to make him so understanding when it comes to love, but cannot accept it for himself?

Readers are finally going to unravel the mystery of Rowdy St. James.  When the mystery is finally solved and all of Rowdy’s dirty laundry is aired out, the readers are going to love this man even more.

When Salem Cruz joins the Marked team, she throws the doors wide open to Rowdy’s mysterious past.  It is clear that she and Rowdy have a history.  A history that ended on a bad note.  It has all the gang wondering what that past is.  For the first time they are seeing the easy going and charming Rowdy acting like an ass.  Clearly they are shocked by his reactions to Salem.  As the story unfolds it will surprise everyone, including Salem.

Salem has been a wanderlust for the past ten years.  She ran away from Texas and left Rowdy alone.  What happened in those missing ten years molded both her and Rowdy into the people they are today.  The one thing that has always been a constant for Salem is her love for the boy she left behind.  When the opportunity to be a part of Rowdy’s life once again knocks on her door, she takes it with no hesitation.

Rowdy and Salem will have to come to an understanding of what really happened ten years ago.  They will have to let go of the past resentments to be able to move forward.  They will both find that their bonds are much more than a shared past.  Together they can build a loving future.  The past will come knocking on the door and both of them will have to figure out where that past fits in their lives now.  They will make some new choices that will be good for everyone involved. Rowdy will get a surprise that will change everything he thought he knew about family relationships.  Salem will find the boy she left behind is nothing in comparison to the man she is running towards.

When Rowdy and Salem finally come together it is explosive.  Their passion for one another goes much further than mutual attraction.  They are finally free to give their hearts completely without the restraints that clearly held them back.  They not only have sizzling chemistry in the bedroom, they also have a passion that will last forever.

I loved everything about this book.  It showed the importance of friendship, family, and love.  The characters from the past books were present and in rare form.  Their lives are moving in new directions.  These new directions will make this group even tighter.  We also got to meet some new characters that are going to lend strength to the entire cast.  I am hoping they will get books as well ( they might end up being the stars of the new series).  And…yes…Asa and Royal were building up intrigue and angst that has the readers dying for their book.  Yes…it’s coming…April 14, 2015.  In the meantime, enjoy Rowdy in all his sexy, good ole boy glory.  I know I did!

Jay Crownover has written an unforgettable series.  The readers are going to love Rowdy even more than they already did.  I highly recommend the Marked Men series.

Rowdy can be read as a stand alone novel or in series order.

About Jay Crownover:

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series. She will also be introducing the dark and sexy world of The Point in a new series this summer starting with ROWDY. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she’ll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.

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